An ancient Japanese Samurai sword - The mystical Zetsurin reviewed

While it looks the part of a mystical ancient Japanese Samurai Sword,
Musashi Swords' Zetsurin Katana actually has no historical counterpart. But
it does somehow evoke the feeling of an ancient Shinto temple sword for some reason...

Zetsurin (絶倫) is loosely translated as "Be Excellent and surpass all others" - quite a bold claim for a $60 sword. But in terms of sales and popularily, the Zetsurin does quite well for itself - so much so that Musashi have a
hard time keeping up production of these swords and they are never in
stock for very long.

But can this modern
interpretations of an ancient Japanese Samurai sword actually make the cut? Read
on to find out for yourself!

Musashi Swords Zetsurin Review

Review by Corey Sullivan, Ontario CANADA

Steel

Weight

Point of Balance

Price Range

1045 Carbon Steel

2lbs

3.5" from guard

US$54 to $99

Musashi Swords has quite a good reputation on SBG.

And when I saw the pics of this sword, along with testimony from other members, I decided I had to have one.

The white Ito and Aikuchi style (no tsuba) was unique, and different from any other sword out there.

The box arrived at my door, and I immediately set about releasing the
sword from it's cardboard prison. It came in a simple cardboard box with
the Musashi Logo on it. Adequate for it's purpose.

The sword rested on two Styrofoam blocks inside, wrapped in the standard
sword bag. I removed it and marveled. It was quite attractive, and
very slim.

Fit and Finish

Tsuka

The wrap on the Tsuka was not snow white like it looks in the
pictures, but it's still pretty nice. It's quite tight, and evenly
spaced. The same is fake black plastic, and looks quite shiny. I don't
care for it, but at a sword in this price range, I can't complain. Same
goes for the gold plastic menuki. The Koshirae were quite nice, being of
a painted zinc alloy. They were quite attractive, and added to the
uniqueness of the sword.

The kozuka was a nice touch, even though it wasn't sharp. It does throw quite well though.

Blade

The blade is made out of 1045 carbon steel and is polished to a nice
lustre. Not mirror, but close. It's a very nice blade. The hamon is wire
brushed, but still looks good. You have to look very close to tell. The
bo-hi is even and well done, and I love the way it sounds! Kissaki is
very well done, better then either my shura or my Oni forge Kage, which
is saying allot considering both cost more then twice as much.

Tang and Tsuka: I removed the tsuka from the tang, which required
a padded wooden block to to the lack of tsuba. The friction fit to the
tang was very good, but I managed to crack the tsuka when I removed it.

I used wood glue to fill it in, and clamped it overnight. It's fine now.

The tang was thinner then I expected, but it was free of rust, and of sufficient size to not bother me.

Cutting

Editors Note

Katana without tsuba should be handled
with extreme care and are definitely not optimized for thrusting...

The blade is quite sharp, and carves paper with ease. It is evenly
sharpened along the whole length, which worries me a little, due to the
lack of tsuba.

I took it outside to test it, and I swear I could see the water
bottles quake in fear. I set up my one remaining milk jug, and my last
beach mat. I need more cutting supplies!

It cut through water filled bottles with ease, and the milk jug stood no
chance. On the last cut of the jug, I accidentally hit the log I was
using as a stand, and gouged a small chunk out of the wood. The sword
was unharmed, so I continued with a hanging bottle (missed that first
stab) and my last beach mat. The sword cut very cleanly in all instance,
like a knife through butter.

Conclusion

For the price I paid, this sword is golden. It handles like a dream,
cuts great, and it looks good doing it. I was drawn to this sword by
it's unique look, but it's an excellent cutter as well, rivaling many
more expensive swords.

It's fake same and menuki bring it down a little but it's
acceptable in this price range. The only other concern I have is that
the white Ito becomes dirty rather quickly, a problem shared by other
owners. My solution to this was to use Sneaker White, a product that
whitens tennis shoes. It's cheap, and works quite well.

So if your looking for a sword that looks good, and performs way above it's price mark, then this is the one for you.

Good for light to medium cutting.

PROS

Very attractive and unique overall appearance

Evenly sharpened blade

Exceptional Handling

CONS

Machine forged and polished (not handmade)

Lack of Hand Guard means presents danger to the hand when cutting. Handle with EXTREME care.

Fake same detracts slightly from it's aesthetics

WHERE TO BUY

The best place for price on this unusual and mystical looking ancient Japanese samurai sword replica is here at Trueswords.com where they walk out the door for a ridiculously low US$54.99.

And as demand far exceeds supply, if you like it and see it is in stock, you had better act fast!